Moore's hit was perfectly legal. They replayed it here several times and it was clearly a shoulder, not an elbow. It was a hard open ice hit to be sure, but seemed to be perfectly legal.

But for the record, I don't think they base penalties on the player's statistics and time in the NHL...I wasn't aware only top *NHL* players could hit and draw blood!

But, that's where we're wearing our team goggles...one team's clean hit is another's suspension, right Griffiths? (What about Ruutu's high stick to Forsberg that wasn't called? Does that count in the list of officiating complaints?)

It was a nasty, ugly game to be sure. Maybe the Canucks should keep their sticks on the ice and then they'd score goals!

Eventually, Marc Crawford's head will simply explode--but will he beat Andy Murray? Hmm...

Originally posted by AvsGirl41 Moore's hit was perfectly legal. They replayed it here several times and it was clearly a shoulder, not an elbow. It was a hard open ice hit to be sure, but seemed to be perfectly legal.

But for the record, I don't think they base penalties on the player's statistics and time in the NHL...I wasn't aware only top *NHL* players could hit and draw blood!

But, that's where we're wearing our team goggles...one team's clean hit is another's suspension, right Griffiths? (What about Ruutu's high stick to Forsberg that wasn't called? Does that count in the list of officiating complaints?)

It was a nasty, ugly game to be sure. Maybe the Canucks should keep their sticks on the ice and then they'd score goals!

Eventually, Marc Crawford's head will simply explode--but will he beat Andy Murray? Hmm...

Even the Colorado media admitted there was elbow contact to Naslund's head. It is clear on the replay. I guess you can see things however your home team goggles will allow ( ), but even the commentators and sports shows said there was elbow contact.

Secondly, Ruutu's high stick to Forsberg should have been called. You now why it wasn't? Because Moore got away with a nasty elbow, so they let it go (which doesn't make it right, but I assure you this was the reason). If Naslund hadn't been elbowed (and subsequently left the game), Ruutu is in the box for 2 minutes on that play with Forsberg.

By the way - I also think Matt Cooke should have got a 5 minute major and a game misconduct for lacerating the Avs player's face, instead of the 4 minute double minor slap in the wrist he did receive. See, I'm being completely objective. I just ask for fairness - something that neither Markus Naslund nor some of the Avs players received.

Here's a video of the hit in slow motion, which clearly shows the elbow to Naslund's head. If you can't see it in this video, then I *know* your goggles need cleaning! I challenge anyone to watch this video and then say there was no elbow (pay particular attention to the last replay of it, at the very end of the video):

The league treats its stars like pieces of meat. So why should we be surprised when Vancouver's Markus Naslund, the leading scorer in hockey, was knocked to his hands and knees Monday night, unable to rise from the Pepsi Center ice after a dangerous hit by Colorado foe Steve Moore, and the referees all turned blind?

The injustice of it should anger anybody who loves the speed and skill of this game. The unpenalized hit on Naslund certainly incensed Vancouver coach Marc Crawford, despite a 1-0 Vancouver victory.

"It just mystifies me why this happens in this league. They talk about players not having respect for players. How about the officials? Should they not have respect for the leading scorer in the league? When does that come? When does that come?" Crawford demanded, as the intensity in his voice and his anger burned hotter with every carefully chosen word.

The sermon was so loud it must be heard. But will anybody in power listen? Crawford asked the hard question for which the goons on skates, mindless worshippers of TV broadcaster Don Cherry and the NHL commissioner have no good answer.

When is hockey going to enter the 21st century? For having the guts to ask, Crawford probably will be reprimanded by the NHL with a fine for telling the ugly truth.

This league does not have the collective IQ to buy a clue. It will be a niche sport whose limited popularity is stuck somewhere between bowling and arena football so long as the NHL allows the mugging of its most skilled players to go unpunished.

This time, the same abuse that too often gets heaped upon Avalanche center Peter Forsberg chased a bloodied Naslund from a crucial Northwest Division game during the second period.

"It could've been an obstruction call, could've been an elbow call. It could've been anything. Instead, they call absolutely nothing. I have no idea what's going on about that," Crawford said.

People in Colorado know all too well the passion that can erupt from Crawford, who was on the bench when the Avs won their first NHL championship in 1996. But this is the most furious rant by "Crow" in Denver since he was seen climbing the glass, trying to pick a fight with Detroit's Scotty Bowman.

While the Avs would argue that Moore's check carried no malice, it would be hard to dispute Crawford's description of the blow as nasty.

"That was a cheap shot by a young kid on a captain, the leading scorer in the league. And we get no call. We get no call," Crawford said.

"That is ridiculous. How does that happen? That's got to be answered. Why is there is no respect from those referees for the leading scorer in the league? I do not understand that for the life of me. I don't care if they fine me. I really don't. That needs to be answered.

"Thank you."

His diatribe finished, Crawford took a deep breath, spun on his heels and marched into the visitors dressing room.

The Harvard-educated Moore hardly fits the NHL definition of goon. He calmly pleaded innocent against charges of a blatant hit intended to injure. Naslund was caught off-balance in open ice, with his mug falling into harm's way. No doubt, some of Crawford's bile resulted from the emotion in a rivalry in which there is no love lost.

The same jealousy inspired by the New York Yankees in baseball is felt by Colorado from the covetous eyes of less savvy and less fortunate hockey rivals. The organization's record string of sellouts in Denver and owner Stan Kroenke's deep pockets give the Avs resources that cause a league bleeding red to turn green with envy.

All that being acknowledged, however, it still did not excuse how the referees turned their lack of consistency into a complete mockery by refusing to call a penalty on the play that knocked Naslund silly.

"You don't know what they are going to call. First period, they're calling everything. The next thing you know, you can get away with it," Avalanche defenseman Adam Foote said. "It was just a free-for-

all at the end. That's this league."

There are those who would argue all players, not just the stars, should be protected from mayhem on the ice. But no fan pays $100 per ticket to see a mucker and grinder. Naslund and Forsberg deserve better. Is hockey too dense to understand?

Chiz, I'm not going to argue the hypothetical what ifs. That could go on forever, and I don't have the time nor the energy right now....or 10 days from now, when it would still be being debated. First, Naslund wasn't running toward him, he was skating across the ice when Moore went right after him, hitting him in the head with his elbow. Moore made no attempt to move his elbow out of the way of the hit. He has to be in control of his hits. This is why we have rules. Doug Weight should probably take note.

Blind as a bat. There was plenty extension. Or do you want two feet of extension? Is there a certain measurement you're working with?

By the way, what is lost in this entire discussion is that the basic necessity for a clean hit was notably absent in the play - ie, Naslund didn't even have the puck, and never did have the puck. Moore hit him well after the puck had completely left play. This, alone, makes it a dirty hit.

But the greater point in all of this is the fact that players don't show any respect for other players in deeply vulnerable positions. And the greater point to that is there is a lack of respect to the speed and skill in the game - because it is the game's best players that exhibit these qualities. It's too bad, for the game itself, that Moore took out Naslund in such a manner when he was completley defenseless. We all know that if Gretzky or Lemieux had been hit in this way, the entire league would be in an uproar - as it should. My times have changed. The league is going back to its bush league roots. This is why hockey is still such a fringe sport in the US. It's too bad, really.